


Serendipity's Window

by Lonely_succubus462



Category: Paradise Kiss
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2019-09-12 17:31:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,229
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16877184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonely_succubus462/pseuds/Lonely_succubus462
Summary: Yukari is in the fashion forward city of Paris doing some photo shoots and vacationing when she stumbles into an old "friend". What will the city of love hold for her?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First time on this site so I'm trying my best to get this all squared away. Thank you in advance for your patience! ^_^ Next chapter to come up as soon as I can!

Yukari stood at the baggage claim gently fiddling with the lace details on her sleeve watching carefully for a hot pink and teal suitcase to make its way around to her on the conveyor belt. She softly chuckled at the thought of herself toting such gaudy luggage around a fashion forward city like Paris, but Miwako had insisted on packing her bags for her and wouldn't take no for an answer. One by one, muted colored suitcases circled by and she had found herself absentmindedly staring at her left hand where a diamond ring once proudly had a home. Hiro was a kind man with good intentions; she had no ill will against him or Miwako and in fact, she had given them her blessing. When her modeling career began taking off again two years ago despite her age, she saw less and less of him and had felt their relationship dwindled to nothing more than a slightly passionate friendship. Once Arashi had decided to travel the world to tour with his band and leave Miwako behind, the rest of the pieces just seemed to fall into place and given their deep rooted history, who could blame them? She sighed and turned her attention back to the conveyor belt till she finally spotted her sore thumb of a suitcase. 

 

After settling in to her room, Yukari decided to go for a nice walk to stretch out her legs from the long flight and take in the beauty of the city’s lights. 

“Merci!” she smiled at the barista as she excitedly took her coffee and pain au chocolat. The gentle ring of the front door's bell chimed behind her as she continued her way down the sidewalk, gingerly sipping on her drink. Taxis and mopeds buzzed by, a foreign language merged into blurred mumbles around her, and the repetitive clacking of her heels on the concrete became an almost calming sound. Each store window display, boulangerie, and restaurant had its own charm and she made sure to take notice of each one she passed. She stumbled across a small boutique that immediately made her come to a halt, causing a middle aged woman to slam into her back. 

“Ah, excuse-” she began to say as the woman huffed off, grumbling in what she could only imagine as cuss words in French. She gazed down at her spilt coffee and crumbled pastry resting sadly beside her feet and kicked it into the street. 

“So much for the beginning of a fun French getaway.” she sighed, looking back to the boutique. The thin cursive lettering was dainty above the front door “ **La Rose Bleue** ” she softly read out loud. She took a few steps to the right and placed her hand on the glass, her eyes widened as she took in the view in front of her. An avant garde vision of maroon taffeta, lace embroidery, and hand-sewn beading swirled together perfectly to make a stunning dress that delicately hung from the ceiling like it was descended directly from heaven. A warm tear dropped onto her cheek and she wiped it away, unsure as to why she was even crying. She took a few minutes to stare at it in disbelief then searched the window and front door for their hours until she came across a very small  **10-2** . She bit her bottom lip and mentally went through her schedule for the next day, trying to figure out when she could escape from the photo shoot and make it back during that small window of time. 

“La rose bleue.” she repeated to herself then pointed at the dress “I'll see you tomorrow!” 

  
  
  
  


Yukari tried to subtly adjust her position in the uncomfortable makeup chair, while trying not to bother the team of overly talkative artists that tugged away at her manufactured curls. She politely nodded or smiled at the proper times to make the appearance that she was actually paying attention to the conversation, though her mind was filled with thoughts of escape. 

 

“Hey Blake, would you happen to have the time on you?” she shot out when her publicist quickly darted past her. He skidded on his heels and looked up from his Blackberry, meeting her gaze over his trendy frames. He gave a curt nod and rolled up his sleeve just enough for his Rolex to peek through. 

“It's 11:20, gorgeous.” he replied, then rubbed his temples firmly “but at this rate, it'll be damn near 6 before they get this show on the road.” 

“So it might be a while before they're ready for me?” she softly shooed away the artists working on her hair and quickly got to her feet. He impatiently gestured at the crew assembling the equipment as if that were the most idiotic question she could have asked. “Well I-” she scrambled for an excuse to come to her lips and blurted “I need some coffee!” He arched his eyebrow in exasperation then gave a forced smile. 

“Well then, let me just get on that.” he said between gritted teeth. 

“No, no!” she interjected, sensing his building frustration. “I found this perfect café yesterday evening, I'd love to go see it again. Please, allow me.” she slipped on her shoes and gave him a quick curtsy before heading towards the door. He cleared his throat and she looked over her shoulder back at him to see him tapping at his watch. 

“Be back no later than 1!” he firmly warned. 

She nodded with a smile and caught a quick glimpse of the protesting hair stylists who were watching her walk off with all their hard work susceptible to the whim of the weather. 

“Don't worry guys, I'll take care of my hair!” she giggled to their relief then pushed open the door. 

  
  


The taxi driver got her to the café in under five minutes flat, to which she generously tipped him then stepped out onto the sidewalk. She began retracing her steps from the night before, making her way back to the boutique with eagerness. 

“Probably would have been easier to just take the taxi there.” she mumbled to herself with a slight smirk. She feverishly wove between other pedestrians until finally La Rose Bleue stood proudly before her. She stepped up to the display window and gently touched the glass with shaky hands. The dress was even more gorgeous in the daytime; glints of sunlight reflected and sparkled off the beading, giving it the illusion of fireflies dancing around the fabric. She followed the stone curving of the building till she reached the entrance and softly touched the brass handle that had a rose expertly crafted on the top. 

“Bonjour!” chimed the ladies at the front desk as she continued through the entrance. She smiled and walked to them with determined speed. 

“Ah, bonjour! I-uh- that dress out front, do you know who the designer is?” she grinned to them then promptly frowned once she saw the lost in translation showing on their facial expressions. “Crap.” she said beneath her breath then quickly pulled out her phone to bring up a French  translation. A soft feminine voice was suddenly behind her, speaking French to the ladies at the counter who nodded in response then proceeded to go about their business. A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder, followed by the kind voice. 

“The designer is Mr. Koizumi, mademoiselle. It's part of his Springtime Collection.” 

Yukari spun around so fast, it felt as if she were going to pass out. She was greeted by a slender,tall woman wearing a large sun hat and donning a familiar purple flower around her eye. 

“Is-Isabella!” she exclaimed in disbelief. The woman staggered a step backwards then clutched her chest in shock. 

“Carrie?” Isabella gasped, then swiftly wrapped her in a firm yet warming embrace. Yukari felt tears welling up in her eyes as she squeezed back tightly, revelling in the moment. Isabella gave one final squeeze then extended her arms out, keeping a grip on Yukari’s shoulders. 

“What are you doing here? I never thought I'd see you again in a million years!” 

“Me either!” she replied back, tucking a curl behind her ear “I'm here for a couple photo shoots, then spending the rest of my time just vacationing.” 

“Oh wonderful! I had heard that your modeling career has really taken off, I'm so glad to hear that. Miwako writes to me regularly and keeps me updated on everything.I even have a few magazine clippings saved of you.” she spoke with excitement and then paused, as if carefully choosing her words “I also heard about what happened between you and Hiro, I'm so sorry.” she said gently, releasing her hands with a somber expression. 

Yukari waved her hands hurriedly to show that it wasn't a bad conversation. 

“No, no, it's fine, really. We're all in a much better place.” she reassured, then quickly changed the subject “So, how about you? How is the parisian life treating you?” 

Isabella squinted her eyes into a smile and nodded “Life is magnificent here, truly a blessing. I get to do what I love for a living and of course I'm not alone in all of this, I have-” she stopped and tilted her head in a mischievous manner, eyeing her “George.” she said, putting emphasis on his name. 

Yukari found herself shifting nervously at the mention of his name, her heart involuntarily beginning to race. “George.” she breathed his name and felt her chest tighten. She hadn't said his name out loud since the day they said goodbye over ten years ago. 

“How-how is h-he?” she finally sputtered out. 

Isabella grinned again and wordlessly grabbed a pen and pad of paper off the front desk, and began jotting something down. She finished writing and put the pen back down, tearing out the piece of paper. 

“Well, why don't you find out for yourself?” she asked, handing her the piece of paper and continued “After all, what is a Paris adventure without a little romance? I'm sure the two of you have a lot of catching up to do.” she winked and pulled her into a hug again. “Please come back and see me soon, dearie. I unfortunately have a lot of work to get done and a strict deadline.” 

They said their goodbyes, promising to meet up soon and then Yukari got into a taxi and headed back to the photo shoot. As the car began to drive away, she kept her focus on the dress in the display window slowly getting smaller with the distance. 

“Mr Koizumi, spring collection.” she said to herself. 

George had set off to Paris to make his dreams of couture fashion come true, and here was one of his creations preserved at an upscale boutique. Looks like they really did have a lot to catch up on. 

  
  


It was once she arrived back that she realized she hadn't even gotten a cup of coffee to keep up appearances. She shook her head and then looked at the crumbled piece of paper that she had held onto with an iron grip the whole time. 

“39662 Rue de la Paix. George Koizumi, apt 3B.” she read aloud and had to lean against the building to keep from having her legs give out on her. She glanced at the time at her phone and cursed under her breath, Blake was going to be furious if she showed up late. “My love life and personal dilemma will have to be put on hold.” she thought to herself as she straightened her posture and went back inside. 

  
  
  
  


She stood before the shiny elevator in the lobby of the sleek three story building on Rue de la Paix that was simply named  **Magnolia** . She could have sworn that her rapid heartbeat echoed in the silence of the modern room that was decorated to be inviting, but wondered if the designer could have known that as a guest, all she wanted to do was run away. It wasn't the pin striped walls or tacky golden swan statues that fueled her desire though, it was the frightening fact that just a short ride up would lead to a reunion that only happened in her dreams on cold nights. What would he think of an unexpected visit from someone he dated when he was eighteen? Would it even be a pleasant one, or just a nuisance that he had to entertain? Her mind flurried with doubts and questions while all she could manage to do was hold her finger shakily over the “up” button. Someone behind her cleared their throat and she sheepishly pressed the button and stepped to the side, allowing them access to the elevator. The doors opened with a metallic thud and an elderly man passed by her then waited expectantly for her to enter as well. She quickly stepped inside then glanced at the panel of buttons and saw the second floor highlighted. She promptly pressed the third floor, then shoved her hands into her pockets, watching the doors slide shut with a soft clink. 

With a tip of his hat, the gentleman left on the second floor, leaving behind a heavy aroma of cologne. In that moment, the lingering memories of the cologne that George use to adorn himself in burned in her senses, almost making her eyes water. The doors opened and a soft chime of a bell reminded her that she had arrived at her destination. She walked out of the elevator on unsteady legs, and rested her back against the wall located directly to the right, hoping that if she focused hard enough, the wall might consume her. She looked through hazy eyes in front of her and saw 3B in silver lettering pinned on an ivory door. 

“I can't go through with this, this was a terrible idea!” she groaned to herself and slumped further down the wall till she was rested on the floor. She folded her hands into her lap and stared helplessly at his front door. “I'm an idiot. A hopeless idiot.” she sighed with defeat. The sound of the door clicking open startled her attention back to her surroundings and she clutched at the carpet in panic. A tall figure emerged from within, donning a muted lavender suit with golden embellishments, a flashy necktie, and an obsidian hat that beneath the brim hid familiar aqua hair with hints of silver moonlight. He momentarily looked up then immediately did a double take and fixated his piercing blue eyes onto her. If she weren't already on the ground, her legs would have given out from the intensity of his gaze that seemed to bore holes into her. 

“George.” she found herself involuntarily whispering out loud. 

“Yukari?” his masculine voice shattered the deafening silence of the empty hall as he dropped his keys in surprise, their clattering to the ground adding to the noise. All she could do was give him a weak smile and attempt to stand up in some sort of last resort attempt at dignity. He shot over to her and offered his hand which she hesitantly took, feeling tiny jolts of electricity at their united touch. “What-how-” he seemed to grasp desperately for words, then with a gentle smile finally spoke again “You're here. Why?” 

His hand was still on hers with a tight grip and his cologne wafted around them, caressing her senses. After all these years, how could he still have this intoxicating smell and presence about him? 

“I-” she looked into his eyes and softly melted at his handsome features “I honestly wish I had a good answer for that.” she admitted, glancing down at their still joined hands. He chuckled and wrapped her into a warming embrace. 

“Well, regardless of what you're doing here, I'm so glad to see you.” he said quietly into her ear. She felt his arms tighten around her and she instinctively dug her fingers into his firm back as tears begin to well up in her eyes. She didn't expect to have such an emotional reaction, why did it feel like there was a vice around her heart? George released her until just their hands were joined again and she felt her stomach tighten in yearning for his touch not to end. A hot tear dripped down her cheek and she glanced at him with growing weakness. He was never a man to be sensitive to tears; however, he wordlessly wiped it off her cheek and replaced it with a soft kiss. Maybe all these years apart have softened him. 

“Please, Yukari, come inside.” he said eagerly as he picked his keys off the floor and led her with his other hand towards the front door. She was thankful that she didn't have any photo shoots planned for a few days because she wanted this moment to last forever. She helplessly followed behind him, squeezing his hand and smiling when her gesture was reciprocated. Unbeknownst to him, she would have let him guide her anywhere in that instance.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure this second chapter has been much awaited (Lol I'm totally laughing at myself right now) I know there's been a huge gap of time between posting the chapters but hey, here we are. I wrote this chapter 100% at work so if it seems scattered or rushed, that's why. Enjoy! :)

“Is coffee alright?” George’s voice called from the kitchen as Yukari sat at the circular glass dining table, hoping that her nerves weren’t as see-through as the surface of the table. 

“Y-yeah! I’m fine with anything! Coffee is-” she started answering back, turning towards the sound of his voice to see him suddenly leaning in the doorway with a canister of ground coffee in his hands. He had removed his hat and suit jacket, leaving his white button down shirt open just enough for his smooth chest to peek through, catching her off guard enough to abruptly cut off her sentence. “-great.” She finished, then cleared her throat and gestured towards the canister “The coffee! The uh-the coffee is great!” 

He chuckled and turned away with a single nod. Yukari groaned and thumped her head (a little harder than she planned to) onto the table in front of her . When had she become such a bumbling idiot? She was a world renowned model who could confidently strut on the catwalk in the presence of hundreds of important designers and influencers but somehow managed to become absolute putty at the mere glance of one single man. She supposed that she ought to give herself some credit though. After all, this wasn’t just any man, this was  _ George Koizumi.  _ Her first love, her first...well, everything. Sure, she had been with some other men during those ten years apart but there’s some universally known importance about someone’s first, right? She sighed and looked down at the fuchsia jumpsuit she was wearing. Hell, even to this day she was still wearing the garments that he had designed! She heard George emerging from the kitchen causing her to sit up in her chair to gather some sort of composure, as if he would be able to tell how nerve-racked she was by her seated position. 

He placed a white coffee mug in front of her then set his identical mug at his seat across the small table before sitting down himself. His cologne lingered behind him, gently teasing her senses with the hints of amber and sandalwood; causing a lump to form in her throat at the sudden swarm of memories beginning to swirl in her mind. She grabbed the cup with shaky hands and took a sip to find the coffee a perfect blend of creaminess with a dash of sweetness, just the way she liked it. She glanced up from the hot beverage to meet his piercing blue eyes that were watching her carefully. 

“It’s perfect, thank you!” She blurted, as she quickly set the cup back down. Maybe he was staring to make sure the coffee was to her liking? 

“You’re very welcome.” he replied, then gave her a warm smile “I’m honestly still in shock that you’re sitting here with me in my apartment; and wearing a Parakiss creation at that!” he said while motioning towards her outfit. Yukari could feel her cheeks reddening as she smoothed the fabric near her hips.

“Yes. I know they weren’t, but it almost seems as if they were made for me; considering no other clothes fit as perfectly as yours do.” She admitted sheepishly. 

“Well, there’s honestly no one else I’d want to be wearing them than you. That’s why I left the storage unit to you.” he stated earnestly, trying to hide a grin as he took a sip of his coffee. She brought the mug to her lips and carefully studied George’s features while trying to keep the facade of plainly drinking the warm liquid. Although he was brimming the age of 30, he hadn’t appeared to age very much in the typical sense; he had aged in ways that made him appear...softer. His cerulean eyes that once homed such coldness appeared to now hold a gaze that was without judgement, his smile seemed genuine with every dimple that arose, and his attributes collectively gave him an air of maturity that was very much lacking at the youthful age of eighteen. He spoke again, startling her from her thoughts.

“As much as I’d like to believe that it was fate that brought you here, I’m going to go out on a whim here and assume that you ran into Isabella?” His head tilted in questioning.

“Yes! She gave me your address when I saw her at-” Yukari paused for a moment and scrunched her eyebrows, trying to remember where it was that they had that reunion . “Oh! La Rose Bleue!” she exclaimed, then clutched at her chest while trying to hold back tears when the vision of the taffeta beaded dress hanging in the shop window appeared in her mind. “Oh George, that dress! The one in the window! It absolutely took my breath away! You’ll never believe it, but that dress was the only reason I found that shop!” 

“Ah, so you’ve found my shop then.” He looked pleased then shyly rubbed at the back of his neck.

“Wait,  _ your  _ shop?” Yukari asked in disbelief. “You’ve got to tell me more!” she urged. 

“Okay.” he chuckled while shaking his hands to nonverbally tell her to calm down. “Well, let’s see. I’ve had that shop for...seven years now?” he said,then adjusted in his chair almost as if he didn’t believe his own words. “Wow, it really has been a long time, Yukari.” A pained expression flickered across his face for a moment, making Yukari open her mouth to begin to apologize when he cleared his throat and began to speak again. “For the first few years after I arrived here in Paris, I mainly just did commission projects and internships to occupy myself. After some time though, it began to wear on me and I wanted something more permanent, something more...George. And so, after much careful planning and help from Isabella, La Rose Bleue was born.” he said with a shrug of his shoulders forcing Yukari to shake her head.

“Only you, George. Only  _ you  _ would turn something as big as owning your own boutique into a casual achievement.” she laughed, causing him to join in. Once the laughter died down, he stood up with a grin and looked at her with a mischievous gleam in his eye. 

“Can I show you something?” he inquired, extending his hand out to her. 

“Oh! Of course!” she said a little surprised, but accepted his hand and got out of her chair. As he led her out of the dining room, she couldn’t help but instinctively tighten her grip a little bit in the hopes that their united touch wouldn’t end any time soon. George continued through different rooms in the apartment, rubbing his thumb against her index finger in a soothing manner, causing goosebumps to begin to form on Yukari’s forearms. 

They arrived to a closed door at the very end of the hall that had a hand-written note tacked onto it stating “Keep out, George’s space (Isabella that means you!)”. She giggled at the thought of Isabella coming to the room only to end up being offended by her omission of allowance to the room; then curiosity took over when she gazed up to see him staring at the door with an unreadable expression. He held onto the doorknob with his left hand while continuing to stroke her hand with his right thumb, yet at a faster pace than prior, like he was trying to use her skin to ease some inner turmoil. She thought about saying his name to break whatever trance he was under when finally he took a deep breath and opened the door. 

They were promptly greeted by a room that was bathed in natural light coming from the ivory french doors located directly in front of them. He inched both of them forward until they were both standing on the marble floor of the room, then shut the door behind them, leaving them secluded in the private space. 

“This is my studio.” George said matter-of-factly, then released her hand and motioned for her to have free range to explore. She looked at him with hesitation then went ahead and accepted his invitation, beginning to wander around the room. 

The studio was by no means neat or organized, yet everything seemed to have its own perfect placement. She ran her fingers along a dark mahogany desk that was littered with scraps of colorful fabric, partial sketches, labeled notebooks, and a planner with dates sporadically circled and crossed out. She made her way around the room, occasionally peeking back at George to see him intently watching her from the same spot by the doorway. She wasn’t quite sure as to why he brought her into his studio when something on the next wall caught her eye and she heard George begin to fidget, subconsciously signaling that she had reached the right destination. 

She turned her attention to that wall and paused for a few moments, simply trying to comprehend what was before her. In a large cinema-poster-sized frame stood an elaborate colored sketch of a familiar ball gown. She got a few steps closer and touched the glass with shaky fingers; running a finger over each indigo rose, every layer of silvery frill, every braid of hair that expertly dangled to frame the dress, and each beaded flower applique that she knew would have to be handsewn. She reached the puffed out sleeves that daintily rested off the shoulders when she noticed she was face to face with herself. She took a step backwards and realized that it was not just a sketch, it was  _ her; she _ was the one that stood proudly before her, wearing the dress that was the last major moment between her and George over ten years ago. Her hands fell limply to her side as hot tears began to fall down her cheeks; she helplessly wiped away at the growing waterfalls while trying not to choke on her sobs or let her legs give out on her. She felt a soft hand on her shoulder squeeze gently, to which she looked up at George through blurred vision, completely unaware that he had even made his way away from the narrow doorway. 

“I dreamt about you in that dress countless times.” he confessed, gingerly stroking at her ebony locks. He inhaled deeply and looked up at the massive sketch while he spoke again. “I thought many times about remaking the gown, even if all it would ever be is a fixture in this room for my eyes only. But considering the original was such a group effort, and it’d essentially be nothing more than an empty shell of a garment, devoid of the one thing...the one  _ person _ that would make it whole again...it just didn’t seem right. Yukari, I-” he pivoted his body to face hers and grabbed her hands in a manner that was somehow delicate and firm simultaneously. “Although I found success and opened my own shop, heading for Paris while leaving you behind was the worst mistake I’ve ever made. Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand your reasoning for not wanting to come with me, and in many ways I’m thankful you didn’t let my ambitions surpass your own. However, I beat myself up all the time about how I left things; how we simply said our goodbyes and left it at that while I drove away and left you standing alone” His eyes darted rapidly like he was trying to sort through jumbled thoughts to compose his next sentence. “I was by no means a perfect boyfriend, or even a good one at that. I cringe at the thought of the way I treated you and how selfish I was time and time again.” He tightened his grip on her hands and gave a pained expression. “I have no way to prove to you that I’ve changed, that these years apart have aged me in ways that matter, or that I’ve learned to be more gentle with a woman’s heart. I-” Yukari smiled softly and placed her index finger to his tense lips. 

“It’s okay George. You don’t have to prove anything to me.” she released his lips and moved her hand to gently cup his face “I can tell by the way you talk and carry yourself, or by the simple fact that you’re even admitting your faults.” she chuckled and felt his face unlax as he gave her a warm smile. “You said earlier that you liked to believe that it was fate that brought me to your apartment. Well, while your address may have been given to me, I believe everything else and the way it all lined up really was fate.” Yukari let her hands fall softly till she found herself hand in hand with George and she gnawed quietly on her bottom lip before she spoke again. “You were my first love.. and albeit the toxicity of our relationship, I learned a lot about life and about myself from the time we spent together and my time with Parakiss. Yes, you leaving me behind to come here was extremely heart wrenching at the time, but I think it was necessary in order for us to both grow and become our own persons.” she gave his hands a gentle squeeze as his face showed growing concern and doubt as to where the conversation was going. “Now tell me George…” she gave him a mischievous grin as she began again “Me happening upon your boutique, running into Isabella, and coming to your apartment after just the right amount of years for us to both be successful in our careers and to have grown as people...if it’s not fate, then how about we call this encounter a perfect example of serendipity?” 

He gave her a quizzical look before smiling “Well, when one happens into a serendipitous situation, where do they go next?” 

“Hmm...well, I suppose wherever they would like to go.” She tilted her head slightly and winked.

“Well then Yukari, I look forward to wherever this takes us.” George beamed at her before releasing her hands to replace them around her waist as he pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I originally wrote this because I needed George and Yukari to end up together like I needed air haha. I assume you feel the same way and that's why you read this? lol. Sorry for the total cheeseball ending but thank you for reading!


End file.
